Complete all four corners using the same process, and you are done!! :) (this is my darling girl Bonnie!)

Thank you for tuning in today! If you would like to schedule a one on one tutorial on canvas stretching please comment, email or come by!!

-Much Love- 
​Amanda 

With thousands of colors to choose from, as well as different textures, such as suede and linen; mat boards are a great way to add style, flair and color to your custom framing order. But the aesthetic benefits are just the tip of the iceberg as far as why mats are important when framing a piece of artwork, we are going to explain why.

First of all, mat boards are the buffer between your art and the glass. The farther away your art is from the glass, the better. Over time, moisture seeps into your frame and if your art is not adequately spaced from your glass, there is a very high chance that your artwork, or your photograph will become stuck to the glass due to that moisture. That means, you will never be able to take your art or photograph out of the frame without damaging or ruining it. 

The distance created by using mat boards is not only helpful in that sense, but also because it helps protect your art from light, be it natural sunlight, or artificial light, both are damaging to art over time. Using mat boards to create more space between your glass and artwork, allows less light to get to your artwork, hence helping it not fade over time. With the use of acid free mats, and UV protective glass, your artwork can last for generations to come. 

Not only do mats act as buffer between your artwork and the glass, they also act as a buffer between your artwork and the frame. The wood that frames are made of, have acid in them, and while we do line the frames with frame sealing tape to keep that acid from touching the mats or your artwork, adding mats to that equation always helps. The farther away your artwork is from anything containing acid, the better! If your art comes in contact with any acidic material, it will start to yellow, due to a process called 'acid burn'.

In order to keep your artwork protected, we suggest you use 2-3 acid free 4ply mats, or 1 8ply mat when framing your artwork. Picking the colors, textures or styles that fit your artwork will be the fun part. There are several ways to utilize mat boards in the design process, from adding pops of color, to helping the framed artwork stay neutral and easy to hang anywhere, and everything in between.

With so many benefits it is easy to say and believe, that mats really do matter!

Thank you for tuning in today, if you have any suggested topics for a blog post, please comment, email or stop by the shop and let us know!

We will be here until 7pm today, if you decide to swing by, we will see you at the shop!

-Much Love-
​Amanda

Working in this industry, we hear certain questions all the time. One of the most common is, "how do I attach my art to the mat?" with the follow up question of "what type of tape should I use?" Today we're going to answer both of those questions for you!

There are several ways to attach artwork to a mat, but the easiest is called a T-Hinge. In today's blog, we are going to walk you through that process, BUT, first, lets talk about tape.

Unless you do this sort of thing all the time, you probably do not have specialty tape just sitting around your house. What most people have are easily accessible tapes like, every day scotch tape, duct tape, masking tape, and packing tape. While yes, technically you can use these tapes to adhere your artwork to a mat, this is why you shouldn't. Most every-day use tape like the ones listed above are full of acid. Using a tape that is acidic to adhere your art to a mat will cause your art to yellow, as a result of acid-burn. Additionally, most tapes of that nature are not meant to be easily removed, so if you need to take your art off the mat, you risk tearing your art in the process. Tape's like the ones listed above are also not meant to withhold the test of time, so eventually, they will start to brittle and crack, causing your art to become unattached.

So that brings us back to the original question, "what type of tape should I use?" Pictured below you will find an example of an acid-free tape, this tape is simply called "Artist Tape". You can get it at almost any art supply shop. If you cant find that tape, or would rather just run to a corner store, or grab tape when you are out grocery shopping, just look on the packaging labels of different tapes, any tape that says "Acid-free" is a much better option than every-day use tape.

Now, lets talk about the best option. Pictured below you will see a tape that is called "Linen Hinging Tape" this tape is made for doing T-Hinges. It is made of fabric, is acid-free and is easily removed. There are two different types of this tape, the self adhesive version, and the gummed version. If you get the gummed version, you will have to add water to the tape. I suggest getting the self-adhesive version, simply because it is easier to use, and you wont have to get water near your artwork. You can find this tape at art supply stores, such as Blick or Sam Flax, however, most frame shops should also have this tape. (Like we do and can order rolls of it for you). If you have a bunch of art or photos to mount, you can go grab a whole roll, its rather large and will last a long time! If you only have a few to do, come see us! We will give you a few pieces to use, no problem.

Now, onto the fun part! How we do it. Lets go step by step. 

What you will need: 
-A mat cut to fit your artwork
-A backing board cut to the outside size of your mat. (We are using acid free foam, you can also use matboard)
-Your art
-Tape (We are using linen hinging tape)

Step Four: Once you get your art in the perfect spot, use something heavy to hold it in place, so it will not move around while you are making the T-hinge. We would normally use something called a print weight, which is made to hold art in place, but because some of you wont have those, we will use a roll of tape. 

Step Five: Using your two shorter pieces of tape, place them sticky side UP on to your art work, so the tape adheres to the back side of your art. You dont want them all the way on the edges, so come in about an inch on each side. Make sure that you have some tape sticking up above your artwork.

Thanks for tuning in!! :) I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to comment, email or come by the shop! 

Have a great rest of the day, and weekend! Its supposed to be a beautiful one! We will be here until seven, if you want to swing by! 

We will be back Tuesday with another very enlightening post!

-Much Love-
​Amanda

​Hello!! I am glad you are here reading this! I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, and tell you a little about the journey that has brought Farrell's Frame and Design to Broad Street in Rome Georgia!
 Thats me, (and one of my silly pups, her name is Lola). 

I've been in the framing industry for going on 12 years now. I've worked for several companies over the years, starting out as a framer-in-training at a wonderful Mom and Pop shop, then moving on up in the corporate world at Micheals to the Framing Manager, then adding to my corporate and management experience, as well as adding a new skill under my belt, as the Framing and Giclee Printing manager at Blick.  It has been a dream of mine for almost 10 years, to one day open up my own framing shop, and until very recently... it was just a thought. Well!! As you can see, we've taken the jump, decided that it was time to venture out into the world of business owners and show the world what a seasoned framer supported by an absolutely wonderful husband, and two of the greatest employees one could ask for,  can offer! ​

That there, is the absolutely wonderful husband I mentioned earlier, His name is Chris. He is one of the main reasons we we're able to take my dream of opening a frame shop, and turn it into reality. He is a hard worker, a great support system, and (let me me tell you) he is one smart cookie! With him by my side, no challenge is too hard, and no obstacle is too big. Team Farrell all the way! :)

I'd like to also introduce the other two main players involved in Farrell's Frame and Design.  This is Savannah (pictured in the top picture), and this is Antoneisha (pictured in bottom picture). We all used to work together at the Micheals in Macon Georgia. We all immediately became friends, as well as a very productive and effective work team! When Chris and I decided to start the journey of opening Farrell's Frame and Design, we knew that we had to get some rockstar employees to help. Savannah and Antoneisha fit that bill. They are not only two of the nicest, and caring people you will meet, they are also hard workers, with immense knowledge of the services we have to offer here at the shop. From the start of this journey, we have all worked very hard, as a team to get the building ready, get our walls decorated, and to collaborate on great ideas to work on! We all know that this journey will be a continuous work in progress, and that makes us excited! There is nothing we like better, as a team, than to have new, challenging and exciting goals, projects, and ideas to conquer together. 
All of the players in team Farrell's Frame and Design have different talents and ideas to bring to the table, and that helps us to be able to offer solutions to a wide variety of services and requests! If you've got a project, and you need advice, come see us! We love to help!

So, lets start at the beginning, of what we like to refer to as "Frameland Adventures". 
Here it is, our blank canvas. The first time we walked into the building and began brainstorming about what we were going to do, to make this building a place we were going to be proud of, a place that we feel is inviting and comfortable for our customers, and a place that we are glad to call our second home (cause lets face it, we spend a lot of time here!)

The construction began. With the help of some awesome family friends, we learned how to build a wall!
Then we learned how to build counters! It was already starting to feel like home!​

​What we were in desperate need of, was some color! We love color, so the painting began, 

The painting, kept going, and going, and going! This is a big building! (with really tall walls! lol) But after about a week of hard work, we had a bright airy space to work in!

Then of course, we decided to add some color to the front of the building! I think we picked the coldest day of winter to get up on those ladders outside, but we got it done!! 

Most days were dirty days! We went home covered in dust and paint, but we had fun getting dirty, and getting work done!

There were bumps in the road (or giant gaping holes discovered in the floor YIKES!) But no matter what life threw our way, we kept on working!

What a difference huh? As you can see, there are no more holes in the floor! lol. With a little (ok a lot) of elbow grease, dedication and determination, we have done it! Of course, we will continuously be changing and improving, but we think we are at a good place to start!

Thank you for your attention, and now that you know a little about me, and about us, come introduce yourself, so we can start to get to know you!! 

Stay tuned! We will be back tomorrow, with a tips and tutorial on some of the basics of framing!  If you have any requests for blog topics, please comment, or send us an email! We are here to help!

Have a great day!! :) We'll be here all day, so if you decide to swing by, we will see you at the shop!

-Much love-
​Amanda